LOK
Copenhell - 2022
Text: Tobias Nilsson Photo: Lunah Lauridsen
I, like many others, first became aware of LOK back in 1999, when they released their second album, Naken, Blästrad Och Skitsur, which of course contained the band’s hit track Lok Står När De Andra Faller.
For various unrelated reasons, I never delved deep into the band back in the day, despite liking what I knew of them. Then they broke up in 2002, and Martin Westerstrand and Daniel Cordero would go on to form the highly successful band Lillasyster, and all hope of seeing LOK seemed lost.
As such things go, there was a reunion several years later however, and here in 2022 they made their - to my knowledge - second ever visit to Denmark.
“It’s fucking strange to make a soundcheck and at the same time there’s another band playing - and that band is Metallica!”
- Martin Westerstrand (vocals)
Yes, LOK was the last band for the day to play the Hades stage, rounding off the night after headliner of the day, Metallica, had killed it on the Helvíti stage. How to deal with that? On the one hand, everyone’s in a good mood, but on the other hand, how do you top that?
LOK went for the most sensible solution, just go at it and kick ass as best they knew how.
It wasn’t a huge amount of people who stuck around for this show, but at least it was a highly dedicated bunch, and when LOK kicked things off with groovy Lokpest, the party was immediately in place.
It was especially Westerstrand that stood for the action in the band. The rest of them were certainly rocking out, but didn’t come as far across the edge of the stage and connect with the audience as the frontman, who on the other hand played around through the entire set. Early on, he stole a drumstick from Johan Reivén and played around with it, later he would try and lead the audience in a sing-along while jumping from speaker to speaker in front of the stage, and towards the very end, he would jump straight down into the security pit, to get real close and personal with the fans, lending them his mic directly.
“This is the last chance to rock out tonight, dear Copenhagen!”
- Westerstrand (vocals)
As mentioned, the audience loved this particular Metallica afterparty. Even though we weren’t as strong in numbers as some of the earlier crowds of the day, there was a strong moshpit going throughout the set, and it was surprisingly headbanging friendly - I had imagined more jumping, in typical nu metal style, but this played out more like a classic heavy metal show, despite the musical style of the band.
To be perfectly honest, LOK proved to be absolutely worth the wait, and they provided the perfect end to a great first day at Copenhell. I was smiling and sweating when they were done, and kept humming their tunes all the way home.
Setlist:
Lokpest
Låt 3ton
Passa Dig
Sug Min
Pyromandåd I Ponnyslakteriet
Som En Hund
Resterna Av Ditt Liv
Into The Void (Black Sabbath cover, snippet)
Plyschbeklädd
Barnbok
Ensam Gud
Hem Till Gården
Kompanjoner
Skrubbsår
Tommys Ponny (Bröderna Cartwright)
Lok Står När De Andra Faller
Scudmissil (Den Lede Fi)
For various unrelated reasons, I never delved deep into the band back in the day, despite liking what I knew of them. Then they broke up in 2002, and Martin Westerstrand and Daniel Cordero would go on to form the highly successful band Lillasyster, and all hope of seeing LOK seemed lost.
As such things go, there was a reunion several years later however, and here in 2022 they made their - to my knowledge - second ever visit to Denmark.
“It’s fucking strange to make a soundcheck and at the same time there’s another band playing - and that band is Metallica!”
- Martin Westerstrand (vocals)
Yes, LOK was the last band for the day to play the Hades stage, rounding off the night after headliner of the day, Metallica, had killed it on the Helvíti stage. How to deal with that? On the one hand, everyone’s in a good mood, but on the other hand, how do you top that?
LOK went for the most sensible solution, just go at it and kick ass as best they knew how.
It wasn’t a huge amount of people who stuck around for this show, but at least it was a highly dedicated bunch, and when LOK kicked things off with groovy Lokpest, the party was immediately in place.
It was especially Westerstrand that stood for the action in the band. The rest of them were certainly rocking out, but didn’t come as far across the edge of the stage and connect with the audience as the frontman, who on the other hand played around through the entire set. Early on, he stole a drumstick from Johan Reivén and played around with it, later he would try and lead the audience in a sing-along while jumping from speaker to speaker in front of the stage, and towards the very end, he would jump straight down into the security pit, to get real close and personal with the fans, lending them his mic directly.
“This is the last chance to rock out tonight, dear Copenhagen!”
- Westerstrand (vocals)
As mentioned, the audience loved this particular Metallica afterparty. Even though we weren’t as strong in numbers as some of the earlier crowds of the day, there was a strong moshpit going throughout the set, and it was surprisingly headbanging friendly - I had imagined more jumping, in typical nu metal style, but this played out more like a classic heavy metal show, despite the musical style of the band.
To be perfectly honest, LOK proved to be absolutely worth the wait, and they provided the perfect end to a great first day at Copenhell. I was smiling and sweating when they were done, and kept humming their tunes all the way home.
Setlist:
Lokpest
Låt 3ton
Passa Dig
Sug Min
Pyromandåd I Ponnyslakteriet
Som En Hund
Resterna Av Ditt Liv
Into The Void (Black Sabbath cover, snippet)
Plyschbeklädd
Barnbok
Ensam Gud
Hem Till Gården
Kompanjoner
Skrubbsår
Tommys Ponny (Bröderna Cartwright)
Lok Står När De Andra Faller
Scudmissil (Den Lede Fi)
LOK
